Dietary Fibers and Cardiometabolic Diseases

The high prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) is largely attributable to the contemporary lifestyle that is often sedentary and includes a diet high in saturated fats and sugars and low ingestion of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), fruit, vegetables, and fiber. Experimental data from both animals and humans suggest an association between increased dietary fiber (DF) intakes and improved plasma lipid profiles, including reduced low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) concentrations. These observations underline that the intake of DF may protect against heart disease and stroke

CONTREX: Design of embedded mixed-criticality CONTRol systems under consideration of EXtra-functional properties

The increasing processing power of today’s HW/SW platforms leads to the integration of more and more functions in a single device. Additional design challenges arise when these functions share computing resources and belong to different criticality levels. The paper presents the CONTREX European project and its preliminary results. CONTREX complements current activities in the area of predictable computing platforms and segregation mechanisms with techniques to consider the extra-functional properties, i.e., timing constraints, power, and temperature. CONTREX enables energy efficient and cost aware design through analysis and optimization of these properties with regard to application demands at different criticality levels

CONTREX: Design of embedded mixed-criticality CONTRol systems under consideration of EXtra-functional properties

The increasing processing power of today’s HW/SW platforms leads to the integration of more and more functions in a single device. Additional design challenges arise when these functions share computing resources and belong to different criticality levels. CONTREX complements current activities in the area of predictable computing platforms and segregation mechanisms with techniques to consider the extra-functional properties, i.e., timing constraints, power, and temperature. CONTREX enables energy efficient and cost aware design through analysis and optimization of these properties with regard to application demands at different criticality levels. This article presents an overview of the CONTREX European project, its main innovative technology (extension of a model based design approach, functional and extra-functional analysis with executable models and run-time management) and the final results of three industrial use-cases from different domain (avionics, automotive and telecommunication).The work leading to these results has received funding from the European Community’s Seventh Framework Programme FP7/2007-2011 under grant agreement no. 611146

OltreMare - Un progetto per il futuro della Biodiversità del Mediterraneo

Osservatorio e comunicazione. Questo progetto narra dello sguardo degli artisti dell’Accademia di Belle Arti di Palermo sul lavoro di ricerca portato avanti dall’IAS - CNR (ex IAMC) riguardo all’osservazione e alla tutela della Biodiversità e costituisce uno strumento eccellente di comunicazione per un pubblico quanto mai ampio. La divulgazione della scienza è un’attività complessa e sicuramente necessita di competenze e attitudini multidisciplinari oltreché di motivazione ed entusiasmo. La comunicazione delle tematiche scientifiche, di per sè ostiche nella traduzione al grande pubblico, grazie alla forza e all’immediatezza tipica dell’espressione artistica diventa prodigioso spunto di riflessione e di osservazione, sia per i giovani che per la comunità intera. Grazie al progetto Osservatorio della Biodiversità Siciliana, sono state realizzate da partners con competenze istituzionali complementari , quali l’Accademia di Belle Arti di Palermo e l’IAS - CNR di Capo Granitola, delle azioni didattiche e creative di valore scientifico espresse con straordinaria forza e bellezza. La sinergia creata, nata da un rapporto consolidato ormai da tempo, ha portato ad uno scambio tra ricercatori e professori che si sono messi in gioco in uno sforzo congiunto per avvicinare le proprie competenze. In seguito ad un’intensa attività di coordinamento e pianificazione dei lavori, si è riusciti a portare avanti un progetto ambizioso e imponente, coinvolgendo moltissimi ambiti scientifici e altrettante cattedre, sensibilizzando così gli artisti ai temi della Biodiversità. Le opere prodotte, accompagnate da schede scientifiche, hanno dunque acquisito un valore, oltreché artistico, didattico, e restano come testimonianze oggettive, nel percorso culturale, per i visitatori dell’Osservatorio. Questa collaborazione conferma l’importanza e l’opportunità di unire arte e scienza per esaltare la percezione della ricerca scientifica da parte della comunità e ,ancora una volta, si conferma come, per fare “cose straordinarie”, siano più importanti i rapporti umani piuttosto che le competenze tecniche. A tal proposito, un ringraziamento sentito al Prof. Calogero Piro che, con passione e dedizione, ha reso possibile questa esperienza, e al gruppo di Comunicazione EDU Lab dell’IAS - CNR, che è stato, per me, un supporto indispensabile per la realizzazione di questo complesso progetto

Marine Bioactives: Pharmacological Properties and Potential Applications against Inflammatory Diseases

Inflammation is a hot topic in medical research, because it plays a key role in inflammatory diseases: rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and other forms of arthritis, diabetes, heart diseases, irritable bowel syndrome, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, allergies, asthma, even cancer and many others. Over the past few decades, it was realized that the process of inflammation is virtually the same in different disorders, and a better understanding of inflammation may lead to better treatments for numerous diseases. Inflammation is the activation of the immune system in response to infection, irritation, or injury, with an influx of white blood cells, redness, heat, swelling, pain, and dysfunction of the organs involved. Although the pathophysiological basis of these conditions is not yet fully understood, reactive oxygen species (ROS) have often been implicated in their pathogenesis. In fact, in inflammatory diseases the antioxidant defense system is compromised, as evidenced by increased markers of oxidative stress, and decreased levels of protective antioxidant enzymes in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). An enriched diet containing antioxidants, such as vitamin E, vitamin C, β-carotene and phenolic substances, has been suggested to improve symptoms by reducing disease-related oxidative stress. In this respect, the marine world represents a largely untapped reserve of bioactive ingredients, and considerable potential exists for exploitation of these bioactives as functional food ingredients. Substances such as n-3 oils, carotenoids, vitamins, minerals and peptides provide a myriad of health benefits, including reduction of cardiovascular diseases, anticarcinogenic and anti-inflammatory activities. New marine bioactives are recently gaining attention, since they could be helpful in combating chronic inflammatory degenerative conditions. The aim of this review is to examine the published studies concerning the potential pharmacological properties and application of many marine bioactives against inflammatory diseases

Untersuchung der Amorphisierung dünner Eisen und austenitischen Edelstahlschichten mittels der Übersättigung mit Bor, Kohlenstoff, Stickstoff und Sauerstoff

Diese Dissertation untersucht das Amorphisierungsverhalten eisenhaltiger Legierungen und die Bildung metallischer Gläser auf Basis konventioneller Edelstähle.Es ist allgemein bekannt, dass der Zusatz der Legierungselemente Bor, Sauerstoff, Kohlenstoff und Stickstoff einen nicht venachlässigbaren Einfluss auf das Deformationsverhalten, sowie die mechanischen und tribologischen Eigenschaften von Stählen besitzen. Die Modifikationen der Eigenschaften von Stahl sind begründet durch starke Wechselwirkungen zwischen den interstituellen Legierungselementen und Defekten (wie z.B. Fehlstellen, Zwischengitterplätze und Korngrenzen). Somit ist ersichtlich, dass es zwingend erforderlich ist den Einfluss der Legierungselemente auf die tribologischen Eigenschaften von Eisen und Stahl zu untersuchen und zu bestimmen.Eine erste Arbeit hierzu wurde von Byeng-Joo Lee veröffentlich, der als erster ein theoretisches Modell der Binärsysteme Fe-C/Fe-N lieferte und über einen speziellen Monte Carlo Algorithmus (MEAM) eine kubische FeC/FeN phase des Typus NaCl voraussagte. Diese Arbeit setzte den Impuls das Fe-C System für noch unbekannte hohe Kohlenstoff Konzentrationen zu untersuchen, das Karburisierungsverhalten zu verstehen und auf dieser Basis konventionelle Stähle der AISI 3xx Familie amorphisieren zu können.Tatsächlich ist in dieser Arbeit eine kubische FeC Phase entdeckt worden, die mit der vorausgesagten Phase nahezu identisch ist. Hierzu wurde eine neue Depositionstechnik, die Sequential Target Pulsed Laser Deposition (STPLD), entwickelt, da sich das Magnetron Sputtern zur Synthetisierung dieser Phase als unpraktikabel erwiesen hat und man stattdessen verschiedene Karbide beobachtet.Allerdings lassen sich mit Hilfe des reaktiven Magnetron-sputterns eine neue strukturell amorphe Phase erstellen, die jedoch weichferromagnetische Eigenschaften besitzt und sich ebenfalls wie ein metallisches Glas verhält. Der Magnetismus dieser Schicht konnte mittels der Röntgenabsorptions-Fine-Struktur Analyse auf eine verzerrte Ni3C (für karburisierte und Nitrierte Schichten), bzw auf eine verzerrte NiFe2O4 Phase für oxidierte Schichten zurück geführt werden und die Herstellung mit anderen Depositionsmethoden (PLD, STPLD, Oberflächenbehandlung etc.) überprüft.Schließlich wird ein generalisiertes Nukleationsmodell für amorphe Edelstahlschichten erörtert

Automatisierte zerstörungsfreie Prüfung des Füllgrades von Falzverklebungen mittels Phased Array Ultraschall

Der Fügeprozess des Falzklebens wird im Automobilbau aufgrund der nicht sichtbaren Fügestellen für Anbauteile, wie bspw. Türen, Hauben oder Klappen eingesetzt. Mittels dieses Fügeverfahrens wird das strukturgebende Innenblech mit dem kundensichtbaren Außenblech gefügt. Die Fügeebene wird sowohl aus Stabilitätsgründen als auch zum Schutz vor dem Eindringen von Feuchtigkeit mit Klebstoff gefüllt. Um die Anforderungen an Klebstoffmenge sowie Klebstoffverteilung sicherzustellen, müssen diese Fügeverbindungen fortwährend geprüft werden. Diese Überwachung erfolgt aktuell durch eine zerstörende manuelle Prüfung. Dies bedingt einen hohen Personalaufwand, Schrottkosten und einen langen Prozessregelkreis. Um die Klebstoffverteilung innerhalb der Falz effizient zu überwachen, wird in einem hohen Maße die Entwicklung einer zerstörungsfreien und inlinefähigen Prüftechnik angestrebt. Als aussichtsreichste Prüfmethode hierfür gilt die Phased Array Ultraschalltechnik. In Zusammenarbeit mit dem Fraunhofer Institut für keramische Technologien und Systeme in Dresden wird ein Verfahren entwickelt, welches automatisiert alle Falzbereiche im unausgehärteten Klebstoffzustand innerhalb der Linie prüft. Durch die möglichst frühe Prüfung innerhalb der Prozesskette soll ein kurzer Regelkreis ermöglicht werden. In Laboruntersuchungen konnte gezeigt werden, dass mit den Standardultraschallparametern die benötigte Auflösung und Messstabilität nicht erreicht wird. Mittels FEM Simulationen konnten aus den Amplitudenbildern neue Kriterien abgleitet werden, mit denen insbesondere die Detektionsrate von Mäanderstrukturen verbessert wird. Nach der Implementierung der Bewertungsmethode in die Ultraschallsoftware und dem Aufbau eines Multi Phased Array Prüfsystems ist das Verfahren sowie der Auswertealgorithmus zunächst im Labor hinsichtlich der Detektionsrate getestet und bewertet worden. Im anschließenden Prototypentest innerhalb der Linie ist das Prüfverfahren unter Serienbedingungen qualifiziert worden. Ziel ist der Nachweis, dass die Prüfmethode die notwendige Robustheit gegenüber dem Produktionsumfeld des automobilen Karosserierohbaus aufweist. Im Vortrag werden die Prüfmethode mit dem Auswertealgorithmus, der Validierungsprozess und einige Ergebnisse aus dem Serieneinsatz vorgestellt

Towards an integrated design of renewable electricity generation and storage systems for NZEB use: A parametric analysis

Although nearly zero energy buildings have attracted growing research attention, literature analysis shows that only a limited number of researches try to couple load match/grid interaction issues and environmental impacts in early design stages. The study proposes a novel multidisciplinary design approach that allows to integrate these two conflicting aspects aiming to find trade-offs. The proposed approach has been applied to a building case study, equipped with a photovoltaics system without energy storage. The results show that even though on yearly basis the energy use (5,290 kWhe) is largely overcome by the on-site energy generation (8069 kWhe), an oversized PV system alone may not be the best solution for reducing the environmental impact of the building sector, besides not being very efficient in improving load match. Afterwards, a parametric analysis was carry out analysing three redesign scenarios, obtained varying the sizes of the PV system and installing different sizes of the storage systems. The results show that the use of storage systems, in addition to decrease the grid dependency, can increase the environmental benefits arising from the renewable energy sources (e.g. there is a decrease of global warming potential of 48%, compared to the base case, with 5.28 kWp PV system and 10 kWh storage system). Conflicting results are found according to specific impact categories and this suggests the need for a holistic approach, including different domains and indicators. In this context, the proposed approach can contribute to the transition toward low-carbon energy technologies, by supporting researches and designers to take environmentally sound considerations

Life Cycle Assessment for Supporting Eco-Design: The Case Study of Sodium–Nickel Chloride Cells

The European Union is moving towards a sustainable, decarbonized, and circular economy. It has identified seven key value chains in which to intervene, with the battery and vehicle value chain being one of them. Thus, actions and strategies for the sustainability of batteries need to be developed. Since Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a strategic tool for evaluating environmental sustainability, this paper investigates its application to two configurations of a sodium–nickel chloride cell (planar and tubular), focusing on the active material and the anode, with the purpose of identifying the configuration characterized by the lowest environmental impacts. The results, based on a “from cradle to gate” approach, showed that the tubular cell performs better for all environmental impact categories measured except for particulate matter, acidification, and resource depletion. With nickel being the main contributor to these impact categories, future sustainable strategies need to be oriented towards the reduction/recovery of this material or the use of nickel coming from a more sustainable supply chain. The original contribution of the paper is twofold: (1) It enriches the number of case studies of LCAs applied to sodium/nickel chloride cells, adding to the few studies on these types of cells that can be found in the existing scientific literature. (2) The results identify the environmental hot spots (cell configuration and materials used) for improving the environmental footprint of batteries made from sodium/nickel chloride cells